I Need Money Now: 23 Legitimate Ways To Get Money Fast! (2024)

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Are you worried about paying your bills and need money ASAP? You’re not the only one who needs fast cash!

In April 2020, a record-breaking 14.7% of Americans were laid off from their jobs, meaning over 35 million people were filing for unemployment benefits to feed their families.

People always face unexpected expenses, and inflation causes price hikes that leave us all struggling at times.

If you need money now and don’t want to borrow money or rely on unemployment benefits in 2023, we know how to get the money you need!

Most of the examples within this article will earn you $100 a day!

Quick Picks

When you actually need money now, reading through a whole article may not be at the top of your list of priorities.

We get it, you’re busy! Let us narrow down our list for you.

Here are my top picks for side hustles that pay well, and you can start today if you need money desperately:

• Fastest Money-Maker – Online Surveys
• Easiest to Start – KashKick
• Best Beginner Side Hustle – Proofreading
• Scalable Business Idea – Sell Unused Items

I Need Money Now- Get Fast Cash In Your Pocket

If you’re thinking, “I need money now, help!” then we have quite the list for you!

Whether you need $5 fast or want to make $20 an hour, we have plenty of options to try.

We’ve tried a lot of side hustles and investments, so we know what money-makers are worth your time.

We’ve created a curated list of the best options we think can be quick and easy for you to make money fast.

1. Take Online Surveys

Another good way to make money quickly is to take paid online surveys. They aren’t going to get you tons of money, but they’re quick.

Online surveys are an easy way for companies to get market research, and you get paid for giving them info.

Our favorite sites include:

• Swagbucks
• Survey Junkie
• Kash Kick

2. Become A Proofreader

Proofreading is where you will check over a document to make sure that there are no obvious errors and can become a long-term business!

This doesn’t mean re-writing the whole thing but rather looking for grammatical or spelling mistakes.

You can take a FREE workshop on becoming a proofreader to make this a successful side hustle- or a new career!

3. Sell Thrift Store Finds!

Chances are that you have a thrift store near you that you can go in to find some things to sell if you need money fast.

Flea marketsare a great place to look for deals that someone else will buy from you.

You can buy some items at a low price and sell them for a higher price. So that $15 dresser you found could sell for $100+ fast!

It does help to know which items sell well, but if you aren’t sure you can do a quick search on your phone whilst in the store.

4. Have A Garage Sale

In line with selling your things, a garage sale is a good idea if you want to get rid of things quickly.

You won’t have to do things like taking photos and uploading them to sites (very time-consuming) – you can just gather them all together and start selling.

The downside of this, of course, is that you will likely be selling the items for less than if you sold them online.

5. Sell Old Clothes

The next step can be to go through your old clothes and put them up for sale as well. Do you need fast cash now, no job?

You may be surprised to find that people want to buy the clothes that you don’t like anymore – but don’t dismiss any of your items.

There are certain websites and apps that will pay you to upload and sell your old clothing.

We love sites like:

• Poshmark
• eBay
• Mercari

6. Babysit

When I wanted to borrow money from my folks, their quick response was to make it myself. Babysitting is another way we’ve made fast cash for years!

A good thing about babysitting is that if the kids are asleep, you can get some other money-making ideas done!

You can charge extra if there’s more than one child and make this a regular thing.

Check out the site Care.com for opportunities. Also, reach out to family, friends, and others in your local area.

7. Donate Blood Plasma

Donating plasma is one of the more popular weird ways to get cash quickly, and that isn’t changing!

Depending on the center, you can pop in to donate 2 or 3 times a week, which can be $20- $50 per donation, and most sessions will be around 90 minutes.

To donate plasma, you need to meet a few requirements, but it’s an easy way to make $300 a month with just a few sessions.

8. Start Dog Sitting

Dog sitting is one of the easiest side hustles and is so enjoyable! Rover is a really popular platform for this.

Dog owners go away – either on vacation or to something like a wedding – and need their beloved pooch looked after.

All that you need to do is stay in their house and treat the dog as though it’s your own.

9. Affiliate Marketing

We love affiliate marketing- it’s something that we use on our site.

You basically just recommend a product or service to your audience and they will give you a small commission.

You will need a big audience in order to get a lot of money from this, however, but it’s a good way to make some quick money.

Take a course on Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing and see how much you can make!

10. Sell Unwanted Items Online

One of the best places to start when it comes to earning money quickly is selling stuff you don’t use.

We recommend eBay for selling online because of the wide audience and great success we’ve had!

We also have a guide for how to successfully sell things on eBay, so check it out if you want more profit on your items.

Think of things like electronics (laptops, TVs, phones, etc.), maybe some bigger items like furniture, or anything else lying around.

Sites like these have no fees to sell online:

• Facebook Marketplace
• Craigslist
• LetGo

You can watch this FREE flipping workshop to take this side hustle to the next level.

11. Use Cash Back Apps

When you need money, a cash-back app can be a way of getting money now for little effort. You can also get free money for signing up.

The way that cashback apps work is that you can earn money back on the things that you buy and even save money with coupons and discounts.

All you need to do is head to the app, select the things that you are planning on buying, e.g., on your grocery shop, then buy the items, upload your receipts, and get extra cash back!

Our favorite rewards app is Fetch Rewards.

12. Rent Space On Airbnb

If you already have property, a way that you can make money quickly is to rent part of all of your house out.

Listing your property is free of charge and when you make a booking, you have to pay a 3% fee.

Before you sign up, there is a handy calculator on the Airbnb website to find out how much you should charge.

The information that you need to provide in the calculator is:

• Your area
• How many guests you can accommodate
• What you are listing (the entire place, private room, shared room)

13. Snag Freelance Writing Jobs

There are all kinds of writing gigs you can snag when you’re stressed and thinking, “I need money now!”

You may be able to do ghostwriting, copywriting, creating sales pages for products, writing articles for blogs, newsletter creation, and so on.

It’s always a good idea to ask around if anyone needs a writer and ask in relevant Facebook groups.

You can also learn from our course Freelance Write From Home,to get the most out of your side gig.

14. Sell Your Skills Online

Whenever I need money now, as quickly as possible, I know there are plenty of skills I can use to make money.

There are all kinds of skills you can sell, so don’t worry if you feel you don’t have a lot of experience.

Have a look at the services that people are providing on there, such as logo creation, writing services, voiceovers, and more.

Check out jobs available on FlexJobs and get your side hustle started today!

15. Ask Friends and Family For A Loan

Although it’s not ideal, if you have friends and family who could loan you some money, this will be a big help.

We’ll discuss loans to avoid, like payday loans and other helpful loan options, but if you can borrow money instantly from family, it can save you on interest and more.

When you borrow money from someone, you need to pay it back- be on the same page for how you do it!

If they want to get interest like payday loans, if they want it paid back by X date, etc.- talk about it and get it in writing.

16. Request A Cash Advance

If you already have a job, you can ask your boss for a cash advance from your paycheck when you need money a bit sooner.

It’s not a loan, so you don’t need a good credit score- you just need to work and pay it back.

There are no fees for most cash advances, and your employer can set it up with their payroll services- so it could be one business day (or a few), and then you’ll have your money.

You can also use Earnin or other apps, but payroll deduction is usually the easiest way for you to get cash.

17. Start A Shop Online

There are some excellent platforms out there that are set up with the intention of helping you sell your stuff.

Some of the most popular stores for selling and e-commerce include:

• Etsy
• Shopify
• Pinterest

We use Shopify ourselves and love it! They make it so easy to sell on and there are a few ways to customize it.

You can launch an online store easily with Etsy and create pins to promote your product on Pinterest.

18. Become a Pinterest VA

If you are new to the blogging world then you may be wondering what a Pinterest VA is exactly!

A VA is a virtual assistant – so literally, an assistant who works virtually (not in person).

A Pinterest VA is someone who does VA work with a focus solely on the Pinterest platform.

Pinterest is a tough nut to crack, and many business owners would gladly have you take this off their hands.

There are courses that you can take, such as the Pinterest VA course run by our good friend, to get trained and ready as a VA

19. Sell Photos

If you need money now or want to make money passively all the time, selling photos is the way to go.

Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a professional photographer in order to sell photos!

There are all kinds of photos that you can upload – from photos of people to flat lays and picturesque shots.

BONUS: become a photographer and make good money, or even start modeling.

Did you know you could make lots of money selling pictures of feet? We were certainly shocked by how much people can make!

20. Cut Expenses

When you are looking for a quick win, a way that you can put money back into your budget is by cutting some expenses.

Some people are skating by with their bills and praying their gas and water companies to accept delayed payments- rather than just cutting back on expenses overall!

Once you’ve gone through all of your fixed expenses like the ones above, turn your attention to your variable expenses.

Check your card statement for extra things you can cut back on- and maybe avoid using the card too often!

Look at your categories in these areas and see what you can go without for a little while, e.g., date nights and trips out.

Check out Trim to save even more on your bills.

21. Start Investing

The whole point of investing is to grow your money rather than find ways to borrow money online instantly.

The best way to invest, however, is to leave money in there for a long time, not take it out for quick cash.

There’s no time like the present to start investing- and some platforms, such as Robinhood, offer a free sign-up bonus that you can use.

You can hopefully get some money quite quickly from investing due to the high returns offered.

22. Refinance Student Loans

If you have student loans, you may want to refinish them to free up some cash- and improve your credit score if credit is holding you back.

Debt is sometimes an endless cycle, from student loans to card bills to medical bills, so paying off your schooling can make a big difference.

Some companies to check out for this include Sofi and LendKey.

Not sure what your credit score is? Check out Credit Karma to get in the know about your credit score!

23. Refinance Your Car Payment(s)

Car payments can be one of the most expensive parts of your budget if you have one (or more!).

When you need money, it sometimes means you need to savemoney on what you’re already buying!

You may be able to refinance your car payment and save hundreds- it never hurts to get some quotes and see if you can get the same coverage for less.

Loans

When you need money ASAP, you might look into a few ways to borrow money online instantly and get flexible repayment terms, so paying off isn’t so hard.

Many people will look to loans as the answer when they need money, even if it’s just a short-term loan to get them through some tough times.

Loans can be a better option compared to credit cards since the interest is typically lower, but you need to research before you get a loan!

Some loans, just like cards, can get you money within one business day or 24 hours, BUT you may be stuck with crazy fees or higher interest rates.

You may wonder what loan you’re able to get, even with bad credit, so here is an option to avoid and a few options to check out:

Payday Loans- Oh No!

Have you had a payday loan before? It’s a way you can get approved fast and borrow money instantly, but not one most people recommend.

Not many people get payday loans these days, and there are many reasons I don’t suggest you get a payday loan, either!

We’ve heard horror stories from people trying to pay back their payday loans.

It may seem okay to borrow money online instantly because there isn’t an interest rate per se, but you may pay back way more than other loans with plain old interest rates!

Payday loans are short-term loans that don’t check for good or bad credit, BUT people get outrageous fees- like paying $15 for every $100 borrowed.

A 2-week payday loan can have a fee of up to $30, which is a huge markup, hence why you should avoid them.

You cna get payday loans from payday lenders like Speedy Cash and PersonalLoans (previously Zippy Loans)- but think hard before getting into payday loans.

Auto Loan Titles- Illegal In Some Places!

I saw some people talking about auto title loans being another option, and let me tell you, they aren’t allowed everywhere for a reason!

These loans are a situation where you hand over your car’s title to get money to pay your regular auto loan.

This sounds fine on the surface, but these can be high-interest traps where you pay way more than you ever owed, and they get to repo your car quickly if you’re behind.

Regular auto loans will give you a bit more grace, but auto title loans aren’t the right option for most people.

So, if you want to avoid the pitfalls of payday loans and auto title loans, here are my tops picks to consider if you desperately need a lot of cash ASAP:

1. Personal Loan

If you want to borrow money online instantly, the first step to getting quick cash can be getting a personal loan from a bank or credit union.

A personal loan is a fixed amount of money at a fixed rate; very simple and straightforward to get quick cash in your bank account.

You can quickly get a personal loan online instantly with your bank within minutes or even compare rates with multiple lenders.

But keep in mind even a short-term personal loan is still debt just like medical bills and credit card bills, and they’ll do credit checks to figure out your interest rate.

If you have a good credit score, things could line up nicely for you and you can get the money you need without paying insane interest on it.

2. Home Equity Loan

After a personal loan, a home equity loan is a great idea to borrow money instantly without spiraling into high debt.

These typically have a low interest rate, but obviously, use caution if you’ve got a bad credit score that may make loans a bigger debt for you.

It works by lenders loaning you the money secured against the value of your home, so speak to your mortgage lenders about it.

Federally chartered credit unions are usually a good bet to borrow money online instantly.

Credit unions offer low-interest home equity loans, among other great benefits, so if you haven’t, you may want to check out credit unions near you and join!

3. Retirement Loan

Rather than find a way to add to your checking account, why not see if your other accounts have some money for an emergency?

The money in your retirement account is your money, and you can borrow money in it as needed without a bad credit score in the way.

A lot of plans, such as a 401(k), allow you to borrow money from your retirement account and pay it back with interest.

So, skip the credit checks and see what other money you still have available.

4. Credit Card Balance Transfer

Rather than borrow money, you can actually redistribute your debt to avoid high-interest rates.

If you have debt, then you can look into doing a credit card balance transfer among your credit cards.

This is a good idea as it should save you a lot when you’re concerned about a high interest rate and don’t want more loans to add to bad credit.

Debt is still debt, but putting more on a credit card with 12% interest is better than spreading out on cards with 23%, 26%, and more.

5. Credit Card Cash Advance

There are a few ways to borrow money instantly, and most people don’t think about their credit card as a loan- but that’s kind of what it is!

Rather than ask for a payroll advance, you can get a credit card cash advance to get money from an ATM, regardless of good or bad credit.

ATMs are all over and available 24 hours a day, so it’s easy and quick whenever you need a cash advance.

This is a newer way to borrow money; you’ll have to pay interest on any cash advance, which will be higher than your usual credit card rate.

A cash advance can be your problem instead of your saving grace, so read the fine print before considering any credit card cash advance.

There are sites that also offer a cash advance and early paychecks- sites like Dave could be a better option.

6. Peer Lending

We’ve spoken before about Peer Lending as a way to make passive income, but this is on the other side of that to get money instead of lending.

You would borrow money from someone when you need money quickly and don’t want bad credit to be in the way.

One of our favorite online lender sites for this is LendingClub which we recommend you check out and see what flexible repayment terms you can get.

7. Payday Alternative Loan (PAL)

Another loan offered by credit unions is PALs, where you can borrow money ranging from $200 – $1,000 for an average of 28% interest and a small application fee for the loan.

There weren’t any mentions of a credit check either, so it seems like you could borrow money online instantly with this option.

We looked into Nerdwallet’s info on PALs and found that you can have bad credit, and you can get approved and get the money without waiting a month like in other places.

8. Installment Loans

Installment loans are another option if you have poor credit. You simply need to have a bank account and paycheck to prove you can repay the loan.

It’s similar to most loans, and there’s no credit check, but you need to review the interest rates- we saw one for as high as 400% APR on a loan of only $2,000.

Final Thoughts

When you’re thinking, “I need money asap please help!” it can feel a bit hopeless – but plenty of these options will help fill your bank account and get you money when you’re in need!

I’ve shared ways you can earn $20+ instantly, so pick the options that fit your lifestyle.

You can borrow money with personal loans, credit cards, and more, but avoid a payday loan and research what you have to pay back in interest.

But in my mind, you could make money fast and even passively rather than borrow money and skip paying all that interest.

Keep in mind that the best side hustles really can make you fast cash without working around the clock, whereas some loans may cost you more in the long run.

Some side hustles can earn you over $1,000 a month, giving you more options to get what you need without having to borrow money.

Get more money in your pocket with our tried and true options for fast cash.